Aylesford Hawks put themselves in the driving seat to regain the Warwickshire Basketball League Division One title with an 89-77 win over Tile Hill Trojans 1 in Warwick.

After three consecutive titles going the way of the Coventry side, Hawks, who have not won it since 2008, looked like champions as they put in a tremendous final period to come from behind and set up a nail-biter when the two meet again in February.

It was a game which ebbed and flowed as Trojans took an early 9-2 lead, but found themselves behind halfway through the second period. Then it was the turn of the visitors to motor away with Scott Owen dominating. But once again Aylesford hit back, making 100 per cent from the free-throw line to close the half at 39-35.

Then came a three-point shoot-out thanks to the accurate shooting of Hawks’ Simon Payne and Trojans’ Ross Emery and Richard Onions. Tile Hill eased in front at 57-56 to close the third quarter.

Hawks came out of the blocks with Ricky Fennell finding his range and a ten-point gap opened up. Onions and Owen pulled it back to seven but Fennell, who hit 22 in the game, made 16 in the last ten minutes. Payne led for Hawks on 27 as Onions netted 27 for Trojans.

In a good week for the Warwick club, their second string Warwick Bears travelled to Tile Hill and came home with their second successive victory, beating Trojans 2 76-64.

Leading 41-30, Bears looked to have the game in the bag until Emil Dymczkski stepped up to haul Trojans back, but the team work they displayed the previous week against GAC was not evident as Bears stifled the home attack to add 15 without reply and move from 61-56 and end the Trojans’ march.

Dymczkski made 23 and Joel de Lara Bond topped for Bears on 21.

Westwood Rhinos charged at Rugby Rage after a trio of threes in the first two minutes from new-signing Jamie Coulson had put Rage into a 9-4 lead. Ed Baynes Clarke turned in his best performance of the season and his 39-point haul put him head and shoulders above the rest in a one-sided game which Rhinos won 85-41.

Ernesford Eagles took no prisoners as they motored to a fine 84-55 victory over Trojans Colts to keep up the pressure on Tamworth at the top of Division Two. Led home by Lequan Smith on 27 and Ben Clarke, 17, Eagles were too strong in the air and ran at Trojans, for whom Alex Robinson scored 11, but Colts were overrun by Eagles either side of half time to kill off their hopes of an upset.